U.S. Pat. No. 2,824,597 and others show devices applicable to laterally folding wheelchairs to narrow them sufficiently for passage through restricted doorways and the like. Mechanical devices of this kind in the prior art have tended to be somewhat costly and bulky, and their use adds significantly to the weight of the wheelchair. Some such devices are not readily adaptable to all makes of folding wheelchairs, and some are not suitable to be embodied in an attachment kit for installation on the wheelchair by its owner or user.
Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide a greatly simplified, low cost, minimum effort wheelchair attachment which can be installed on a chair readily by its owner or user. The device adds only insignificant weight to the chair, is sturdy and durable, and can be operated in most cases by the handicapped.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanical-type wheelchair width regulating attachment which has an increased mechanical advantage and a decreased operating force or effort compared to the known prior art.
Another object is to provide a wheelchair attachment of the above type having minimum bulkiness and embodying a minimum number of simple parts.